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DU’s favourite chiller: Banta
Akkar Ali (35) isn’t looking to get his son admitted to Delhi University. Yet, the father-son duo can be seen throughout the admission season around North Campus. The two are among the many vendors selling banta, or fresh lime soda, a huge hit among DU students and aspirants.
Akkar Ali (35) isn’t looking to get his son admitted to Delhi University. Yet, the father-son duo can be seen throughout the admission season around North Campus.
The two are among the many vendors selling banta, or fresh lime soda, a huge hit among DU students and aspirants.
The admission season is a golden time for all bantawallahs. The banta is a reliever for the students in the scorching heat.
“We get these bantawallahs outside every college”, said Ritu Singh, an aspirant who came to buy the form at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC). And the bantawallahs are not complaining. “I get a lot of customers everyday. All the students generally demand for a masalawala banta (spicy fresh lime soda)”, said Ali, while doing business outside the Faculty of Arts.
A banta comes for Rs 10, and the vendors are giving tough competition to the other beverages. “It is easy to get banta. The regular beverages will cost you more than
this”, said Namrata sachdeva, a DU aspirant, outside Hindu College.
The bantawallahs are doing some really good business, managing to earn up to Rs 1,500 per day. “This year, the sales are higher. Last year it was around Rs 800 to
Rs 900”, Ali said.
But not all vendors are so lucky. Some say that their business is dripping down this year. “Last year it was better. This time, it is very difficult to get even Rs 100 a
day”, said Shyam Singh, runs his business outside Ramjas College.
Some vendors who do business on the outskirts of the campus feel they lose out on business due to the location. “The vendors selling near the main university area
are doing great. We do not get as much business like they do”, said Shankar Singh, another vendor, who has a business outside Daulat Ram College, on the edge of the campus.
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